28th November 2021: Sussex again

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 A few interesting birds had been reported locally while we were in Scotland, so on our return we popped out to to try and catch up on the local celebrities. First up was a gorgeous Snow Bunting - always stunning to look at, this bird was typically very confiding, allowing good close views, and the wonderful sunlight showed off the colourful plumage.

Snow Bunting

Next stop was Southwick Canal where a Long-tailed Duck had been loitering for a few days. The bird appeared to be active and feeding, but some photographers close photos had indicated possible fishing line around the bill, so it is unclear whether this will resolve itself or create a problem. However, it was again great to see this bird up close and personal rather than distant sea views.


Long-tailed Duck

Finally, on Monday 29th, we attended an SDOS outing led by Bernie to West Dean woods, where the star bird was a Hawfinch, which although distant did show extremely well through the telescope as it perched on the top of a tree. No photos of this one unfortunately, but it was good to catch up with this iconic species.

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